CONCERNING OUR TAXES...

This feature article is written to share a
concern over the grave danger in which this nation has placed itself.
After centuries of experience, mankind still fails to see the signs
of its demise.

When Jesus was born and when He was killed, few
recognized who He was, yet, now, in these modern years, so many think
they know who He was. Could that be so, or is it that equally few
recognize Him today? This may be considered by some as unimportant,
but it is highly relevant. The failing of Jesus' generation to
recognize Him only guaranteed the destruction of that generation not
many years later.

History repeats itself and all men are tested
now as they were two thousand years ago, but few are aware of that
test when it comes. Jesus reveals Himself to the generations in
different ways, ways appropriate to their time. Jesus said He would
come as a thief. That is, few would be aware of Him when He came.
They would not realize His coming because they would be asleep to
spiritual realities.

What was it that happened with believers two
thousand years ago when the Christian church began? They, too, were
not recognized as the children of God and they, too, experienced
dispossession as Jesus did. Because of this, they shared everything
in common. They gave up houses and lands and finally left Jerusalem
just before it was destroyed by the Romans. This was not a curse for
them, that they should give up everything; it was truly a blessing,
for it freed them from the false ideas that rule the hearts and minds
of worldlings and it saved their lives as well. They began to see in
a clear light what is truly the worldly motivation. They ascended
above the world. God's children have recently experience
dispossession again. It is happening in many places, but,
specifically, I write now of the circumstances that surround our own
congregation, The Lord Our Righteousness. This is not a sad day for
us, since dispossession from the earth is that for which Christians
pray. We call it the coming of Jesus. Dispossession causes Christians
to see what truly motivates the world, by that, making themselves
free from the world and ascending above it. It is a sad day for the
world though. When God's people, or anyone else for that matter, are
by law not allowed to follow their
conscience
without losing their homes or their living, it means the end of
civilization as we know it is at hand. For the Christian it is the
time for their ascension and for the world it is the time for their
destruction.

Concerning our own congregation this is revealed
in the following way. In the past year our church recognized that our
property taxes were helping to support young children in learning
things that would be to their detriment for life. We could see that
the public schools were not educating the children for their good
but, instead, creating a system of child abuse. We do not intend to
demean the honest efforts of parents or governments regarding the
education of their children. It is simply true that Christians cannot
support that current system of education. Because of this, The Lord
Our Righteousness sought a property tax exemption on the land owned
by the church to free the church from having to support those things
that are openly against God's government. This was denied us, though
exemption is justified according to the law. Specifically, the
principles Christians cannot conscientiously support are:

1. Competition. Competition is not according to
God's government. The competition of grades or sports, prizes and
awards are against the truth as it is in Jesus. We would not subject
our own children to these abusive practices and it is against the
truth to pay to have the children of others subjected to them. What
people do with their children may be considered their business, but
when we are forced to pay for that abuse it becomes our business.
Competition sets up the idea that others are to be beaten. It fosters
the notion that others are one's enemy and one must gain the upper
hand and win. In competition it is viewed that some are better than
others especially if one can beat someone else. This is all desirable
from the worldly perspective; the world sees nothing wrong with it
and this is one reason the world is in the condition it is in.

In our church the children are taught that all
humankind is blessed of God and none are better. If there is one who
has lesser abilities, he is to be helped and not beaten.

2. Unbelief. The children are educated so that
doubt in God's Word is fostered. Instead of creation as taught in the
Scriptures, evolution is taught as truth, by that, making the Word of
God a lie. God's Word specifically states that God created the world
in six days (evenings and mornings). Children learn in public school
to disregard what God said and accept the suppositions of men. These
suppositions take faith to believe. Evolution from lower to higher
species has never been proven. It is only a worldly theory that one
takes by faith. It is a theory that also changes periodically. So it
stands that the faith of the world may be taught as truth in public
schools but not the faith that the Scriptures teach. That is
promoting the religion of man over the religion of God. This is
discrimination of the highest sort. God created the world, yet
humankind discriminates against Him. We cannot in good conscience pay
to educate children that God's Word is not true and cannot be
trusted.

3. Immorality. Children are subjected to "sex
education" that compromises our best instincts how girls and boys
should behave. Their familiar association also brings them into
temptation that should be avoided. Much of the country's woes
regarding unwed mothers and welfare can be traced directly to this.
It can often be heard that the youth should practice "safe sex."
Where in the Scriptures is safe sex mentioned? Sex will be safe if in
marriage and only with one's mate. Children learn that sexual
activities outside marriage is alright if it is safe.

4. Atheism. Public schools are Godless by
federal law. You may pass out condoms but not Bibles. You may speak
about spiritualism and celebrate satanic holidays such as Halloween,
but not the truth as is found in God's Word. We are not saying that
public schools should be a place to teach the Bible, but they should
not exclude the truths that are in the Bible. Public schools may
allow individuals to go into a room and pray if they like, but the
system of itself is against the true things of God.

5. Degeneration. Finally, largely attributable
to the aforementioned principles, the general low moral state of the
public schools creates the atmosphere for child abuse between
children, sexual harassment between students, disrespect for
authority, violence and a general declension of those attributes that
make for a strong and enlightened society.

Jesus was taught at home. In our church we
homeschool our children because it is high on our list to keep our
children from child abuse. Child abuse takes many more forms than
sexual and we must exercise our God-given responsibility to educate
our children to God's glory. In the public school system great
efforts are made to protect children from physical harm. They provide
flashing lights on buses with crossing guards and stop signs, but
almost nothing is done to protect their souls, the true worth of the
child.

God holds those who pay for these abuses
responsible for the results of them. This country today is filled
with crime, vice, hatred, violence and fear. We know some of the
causes of this condition. This general condition cannot be blamed on
bad TV programs alone. One's basic educational foundation is
primarily responsible. Society today seems hardly aware that it is
itself responsible for these things because society chooses to ignore
them rather than end them.

As a church, this is a large issue to us. By
supporting the education of children contrary to our faith and in
support of the faith of those contrary to ourselves, we, in
principle, pay for our own destruction of faith in God. This is
unconscionable from our standpoint. Can one imagine that any church
in the community would actively evangelize against its own existence
by paying for the activities of those who evangelize against them?
This may be happening with some professing Christ, but this cannot
happen with those who truly have Christ. With us this has not been a
preference but a conviction for which we will sacrifice our houses,
lands and lives.

Believers in the Soviet Union experienced
dispossession when they stood for their convictions. Although the
Soviet constitution said there was freedom of religion, it did not
turn out that way. Freedom of religion is often interpreted to mean
one has freedom of religion as long as one's beliefs do not go
against any personal whims of the ones who govern.

In the Soviet Union, Christian land was
confiscated and the members scattered unless their activities were
approved by the state and in harmony with the state goals, ideals and
attitudes. In America we have had a higher profession than that. As
it turns out, it has only been a profession. When a nation must force
its citizens to support its practices or else lose their homes or
livelihood, it no longer can be considered a free country, but,
instead, a dictatorship. In this country it has become a dictatorship
of law rather than a dictatorship of man. The dictatorship of law has
gone unrecognized for what it is. If it were a pure dictatorship of
law, it may not be so tragic, but it is not pure. The laws are
interpreted to say whatever the enforcers of those laws decide. This
is true because truth or principle is no longer the governing factor
of our nation. The governing factor is money. Truth and justice are
no more appreciated in this country now than in any other fallen
civilization.

Gandhi wrote: "When a man submits to another
through fear, he does not follow his nature but yields to brute
force. He who has no desire to dominate others by brute force will
not himself submit to such force either. Recognizing, therefore, that
man who fears brute force has not attained self-knowledge at all."

You may remember the story that is in the Bible
about Moses and the children of Israel. Moses asked Pharaoh if they
might be free from those things that enslaved them. They wanted to go
out a little way and worship God according to their conscience.
Pharaoh was not happy with that request and that the children of
Israel would express some independence from his government, so he
refused to let them go. He used brute force to keep them enslaved.
Pharaoh did not realize the effect his refusal would have upon
himself. Pharaoh's greed and desire for power would cost him
everything he had.

It is the prerogative of the county officials to
deny us our request as they have done. God has given them authority
in this matter. They are His civil ministers as was Pharaoh. But when
force and the threat of loss is used to entice us to give up our
convictions, the cost to the county and the state will be far more
than the few hundred tax dollars that might have been collected. If
our convictions had been respected, the benefits would have far
outweighed the few hundred dollars in taxes. God simply rewards every
man and government according to their ways.

This is not a tax issue with us. We believe that
citizens should pay their fair share of the public burden, but when
citizens are forced against their will to support with their labors
the corruption of young minds which someday must rule the nation, we
must protest. If we do not protest, we make ourselves responsible for
those destructive effects which exist in our country today and for
the destruction of the world in general.

If we fail to pay our taxes, our land will be
confiscated from us. If we fail to vacate, police will come to
encourage us to leave. If we still refuse, the
threat of
weapons will be employed or we will be forcibly removed so our
land can be sold for taxes.

We choose, instead, to leave our land and find a
home wherever God may lead and in a place He can bless. This will be
with the knowledge that the expected benefits will not be realized by
those who govern. After the sons of God experienced dispossession
from Jerusalem, it was not many years until the city was destroyed
and there was not one stone left upon the other.

Cause and effect has a way of working itself
out. Some call it Karma. Others say, "what goes around comes around."
Jesus said, "As you have done it unto the least of these my brethren,
you have done it unto me." The Tax Code clearly states what property
is exempt from property taxes. It reads: "The following property is
exempt from taxation: Property belonging to any religious corporation
or society of this state, used exclusively for and in connection with
public worship, and any parsonage belonging to such corporation or
society and occupied as such, and any recreational hall belonging to
and used in connection with the activities of such corporation or
society; and this exemption shall extend to property owned by any
religious corporation or society which is used for any combination of
religious worship, educational purposes and recreational activities,
not designed for profit. ...and real property utilized by religious
organizations for summer encampments should be exempt from ad valorem
taxes, since all activities conducted thereon, although in some
aspects charitable, and in some aspects educational, are nevertheless
directly related to the religious purposes for which such groups are
organized." From Revenue and Taxation 63-105B pg. 18&20.

You see, the tax code authorizes churches to be
free from taxation on church land it is using for "purposes for which
such groups are organized". This was denied us.

The motivation behind these laws is separation
of church and state. The county may justify its human rights
violations for one reason or another, but God sees these violations.
The state is to have no authority over the conscience. The state is
not to regulate the affairs of the church of God.

We make this case because we believe most people
do not know the consequences of coercing the conscience. God cannot
bless a society governed by the principles of force.

This nation has enslaved the blacks, decimated
the Native
Americans, subjugated the world through the so-called United
Nations and now it grinds down its own citizens. It does this by
reinterpreting the meaning of its constitution and its laws for its
own purposes. Men cannot buy or sell except they are marked with the
characteristics of this nation. They must have "the mark of the
beast". Citizens will be dispossessed or even killed for their
desires to be free of unrighteous controls. The Word of God speaks
truly of our nation. "Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,
nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify
himself above all." Dan. 11:37.

There is only one power that has authority
regarding the conscience of man and that is God's power. When men
seek to control the conscience of another, they lay claim to the
prerogatives of God.

The Scriptures speak again of this land.
"I beheld another beast [The United States]
coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he
spake as a dragon. ...And he causes all, both small and great, both
rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand
[the labor] or the forehead [thinking]
, so that no
one can buy or sell [keep his home] unless he has the mark, or the
name of the beast or the number of his name." Rev. 13:16-17.

This poem was found on the Internet. It seems to
speak well to the issue. It is called,

"A Visitor From the Past."

I had a dream the other night, I didn't understand.
A man walking through the mist, with flintlock in his hand.
His clothes were torn and dirty, as he stood there by my bed.
He took off his three-cornered hat, and speaking low, he said:

We fought a revolution, to secure our liberty.
We wrote the Constitution, as a shield from tyranny.
For future generations, this legacy we gave.
To the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The freedom we secured for you, we hoped you'd always keep.
But tyrants labored endlessly while your parents were asleep.
Your freedom gone, your courage lost, you're no more than a slave.
In the land of the free and home of the brave.

You buy permits to travel, and permits to own a gun,
Permits to start a business, or to build a place for one.
On land that you believe you own, you pay a yearly rent.
Although you have no voice in choosing, how the money's spent.

Your children must attend a school that doesn't educate.
Your Christian values can't be taught, according to the state.
You read about the current news, in a regulated press.
You pay a tax you do not owe, to please those who assess.

You've given your control, to those who do you harm,
So they can padlock churches, and steal the family farm,
And keep our country deep in debt and put men of God in jail,
Harass your fellow countrymen, while corrupted courts prevail.

As I awoke he vanished, in the mist from whence he came.
His words were true, we are not free, we have ourselves to blame.
For even now as tyrants, trample each God-Given Right.
We only watch and tremble, too afraid to stand the sight."

Bravery and nobility are traits that only exist
when a nation is sensitive to morality and the conscience of its
citizens. When a nation is no longer sensitive to the conscience of
its citizens, but, instead, dispossesses them or even attacks them
with weapons of war, one can know that nation's heart of bravery and
nobility has turned to a heart of despotism. It may profess to be a
lamb and a peace lover but, in reality, it speaks as a dragon. It may
paint its weapons of war white and call its armies
"peace keepers"
but it is still a dragon. It may very well be that the heart of a
dragon is what this nation wants, but it also should be understood
that that heart will always lead a nation to its end. One cannot
oppress without being oppressed. Eventually, the nation turns against
itself and national ruin is the result.

God's ways are the only ways that truly work and
lead to the well-being of all. If a nation turns from that, there
will be no well-being for anyone who lives on the earth.

This article is not intended to change things.
Humankind has no intention of giving up its insensitivity to the
truth. The purpose of this letter is to bring judgment that this
nation is not at all what it professes itself to be, "the land of the
free and the home of the brave." It is the home of citizens who are
fearful to stand for what is right and just if it is not financially
expedient or if someone may think ill of them for believing what they
do. It was the same in Jesus' day. When freedom for any man is gone,
freedom for every man is gone. So, "The hour of
His judgment is come" as Jesus said.
"Your house is left unto you desolate". The
nation has revealed her hypocrisy. As for The Lord Our Righteousness,
she shall ascend by obeying the command...
"Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers
of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Rev.
18:4.

Written 1996

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